Things to Consider When Planning a Same-Sex Wedding

From who walks down the aisle and who waits, to how to have stag or hen dos, it can sometimes be a little confusing when planning a same-sex wedding as to how you do things. To help you work out how you might want to approach things, we’ve listed below some of the ways other same-sex couples have tackled it. 

Proposals and engagements 

When it comes to the proposal, it’s not necessarily the expectation that it’ll be done with a ring - so it’s entirely up to you whether you do or not. Plus it doesn’t have to be restricted to a ring, it could be any kind of jewellery or item that could be sentimental to them and you know they’ll love.

Suppliers

As you approach enlisting your suppliers, it’s entirely up to you whether you let them know that you’re a same sex couple. However with some suppliers such as dress and suit suppliers and photographers, this might be beneficial to let them know so they can ensure your outfits complement each other nicely and that they get the perfect shots to capture you two as a couple. When searching supplier listings, look out for suppliers who proudly proclaim they are LGBTQ+ friendly suppliers to ensure you get the best experience. 

Ceremony 

Create a ceremony that really speaks to you as a couple, with personalised wedding vows, or perhaps gender neutral ceremony readings and love songs for same-sex couples. If you are wanting to have a more religious and traditional wedding, don’t feel that this can’t be done, as many ministers are happy to perform same sex marriages. 

Walking down the aisle

Have a think about how you want to walk down the aisle and what suits you as a couple best. Will it just be one of you and the other waiting at the alter, or will you walk in together? Or will you each walk in separately escorted by your parents or guardian? Many venues and churches actually have two aisles (or can create two aisles) so that you can both walk down together at the same time and meet at the top. 

Family, friends and guests 

Things to consider when popping together your wedding party is that you might have two mothers of the bride or a mix of bridesmaids and men or groomsmen and women. Embrace the difference and ensure everyone feels wonderful in their roles on the wedding day. 

Outfits 

If you’re planning to throw the rulebook out the window, don’t be afraid to wear whatever you fancy on your wedding day. You may want to wear something super colourful, something informal or you might just really like the idea of going fancy and formal. Get creative and think about what would bring out your personalities best. Think about what outfits make you feel amazing and follow that train of thought. 

Stag/Hens

Again, you can do whatever you fancy for this. If you have separate groups of friends, maybe two different ones could be fun. Or you could do one big knees up with all your friends invited. There’s always going to be pros and cons of doing it all together so sit down and have a think about what might suit you both best.